Gripping and pulling implement



Oct. 2, 1962 F. w. FELMET 3,056,191

GRIPPING AND PULLING IMPLEMENT Filed July 20, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet l V Z I ll w I Z 7 y 75 N 75 76 1 r 75 30. M29 ""28 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Oct. 2, 1962 F. w. FELMET 3,056,191

GRIPPING AND PULLING IMPLEMENT Filed July 20, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 H I 30 I gfi- L I 39 1" 7 l 7 29 4? I 25 F ATTORNEYS 3,056,191 GPING AND PULLKNG IMPLEMENT Frederick W. Felmet, Tonawanda, N.Y., assignor of onehalf to Robert H. King, Pendleton, N.Y. Filed July 20, 1959, Ser. No. 828,392 10 Claims. (Cl. 29-256) This invention relates to improvements in implements for gripping an article seated in an aperture and imparting to the article a pulling and turning force for removing the same from the aperture.

In my copending patent application, Serial #788,681, filed Jan. 23, 1959, now US. Patent No. 2,974,967, issued October 27, 1960, I have provided a punch which is held in an aperture in a punch retainer by means of a lock which can be released by imparting to the punch a twisting and longitudinal pull in a direction out of the aperture. There are also other means for holding punches and other tools to be removed from an aperture in a holder or retainer by means of an axial and turning motion.

It is consequently an object of this invention to provide an implement or wrench by means of which an article of this type can be readily removed from its holder or retainer.

A further object is to provide an implement or Wrench of this type by means of which the article to be removed may be tightly gripped and in which a part of the mechanism for gripping the article also serves to exert rotation and pull on the article.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view of an article, such as a punch, held in a retainer of a punch press, the retainer being shown in section.

FIG. 2 is a similar view showing an implement or wrench embodying this invention applied to the punch.

FIG. 3 is a similar view thereof showing the wrench or implement in elevation and showing the punch released for further removal by hand.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the wrench shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a sectional elevation of the wrench showing the parts thereof in position for releasing the clamping of the wrench on the punch.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, sectional elevation thereof on an enlarged scale showing the parts in released position.

FIG. 7 is a transverse, sectional view thereof on line 77, FIG. 6. I

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing my improved wrench applied to a punch having holding means of other construction.

FIG. 9 is a similar view thereof showing the punch partly withdrawn from its retainer.

FIG. 10 is a side elevation of a cylindrical lockreleasing member of the type which may be applied to the upper end of my improved wrench for cooperation with a punch-holding device as shown in FIGS. 8 ano 9.

I have shown in FIG. 1 a punch held in an aperture of a punch retainer 16 secured to a backing plate 17. This punch is shown to illustrate one type of article on which my improvement or wrench may operate and is held in place in the retainer by means of a split or expansible locking ring 18 .extending into an annular, conical groove in the upper portion of the retainer. This punch may be removed from the retainer by turning the punch and at the same time pulling on it so that the locking ring moves out of the groove in the punch, thus permitting the punch to be removed from its aperture in the retainer.

My improved implement comprises an outer shell or housing 20 which, for convenience, may have a handle tats tnt 21 welded or otherwise applied thereto. Within this housing I provide a chuck 24 which has an externally threaded portion 25 formed to cooperate with an internal thread 27 in the housing 29, and the upper end of this chuck is split as indicated at 28 to provide a plurality of spring fingers 29 which taper so that the ends of these fingers are of less thickness than the portions adjacent to the unslitted portion of the chuck. These tapered fingers are formed to cooperate with a collar 30 having a tapered bore converging upwardly so that when the fingers 29 of the chuck are pressed upwardly into engagement with the collar 30, the fingers will be pressed inwardly toward the axis of the chuck and into engagement with the punch or other article. The collar 30 is freely movable lengthwise within the housing and has an inwardly extending, circumferential shoulder 32 at the upper end thereof formed to cooperate with a stop to limit upward movement of the collar 30, this stop in the construction shown being in the form of an inwardly extending stop shoulder 33, herein also referred to as an outer stop. The lower end of the chuck is provided with a head 35 which may be knurled or of non-circular shape for engagement with a wrench to turn the chuck.

In the use of the device described, the chuck 24 is withdrawn downwardly out of its clamping position and the implement is then moved so that the upper end of the same extends about the punch or other article. The head 35 of the collet or chuck is then rotated to move the chuck upwardly and thus move the gripping fingers into the converging, interior bore of the collar 39, as shown in FIG. 2. By rotating the chuck or collet member 24, the jaws 29 thereof can be readily clamped to the punch or other article 15, and when the article is tightly clamped to the collet or chuck, then the collet is rotated in the opposite direction, thus imparting to the article a rotary motion and also a longitudinal, downward movement, due to the relative movement of the thread 25 to the stationary thread. The housing or shell is of course held stationary during the turning of the collet and abuts against the retainer. This reverse turning motion of the collet is continued until the punch or other article is entirely released from its holding position in the retainer.

In order to release the collet or chuck from the article, another stop is provided below the internal tapered sleeve 30, and in the construction shown, this lower stop is in the form of a threaded release sleeve or collar 38 which is initially inserted into the housing 2% from its lower end and has a threaded engagement with the threads 27 of the shell or housing 24. Consequently, when the internally tapered sleeve 30 is drawn downwardly by the turning of the collet into engagement with the release collar 38, then upon further turning of the collet, the jaws 29 will be pulled out of the collar 30, thus releasing the implement from the punch or other article. The release sleeve 38 may be secured in different desired positions in the housing by turning the same with the aid of screw driver slots 39 provided on the lower end of this release sleeve and it may be secured in fixed position in the housing in any usual or suitable manner, being shown in fixed position in FIGS. 2, 5 and 6 by jamming this threaded sleeve against the upper end of the internally threaded portion 27 of the shell or housing. The handle 21 during the use of the implement serves mainly for holding the shell or housing against rotation and for otherwise manipulating the implement. It is also possible to rotate the outer housing by means of the handle 21 if there is room enough available to turn the handle about the axis of the implement.

My improved implement may also be employed in connection with punches of the type commonly known as ball seat punches, in which the punch is locked in its retainer by means of a ball movable into and out of a recess in the punch. This type of punch 40 is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 and is provided with a recess 41, and the retainer 42 is also provided with an inclined recess or hole 43 in which a ball 44 is movable into and out of the recess 41, the ball being urged into this recess by means of the spring 46. In this type of locking device for the punch, a hole 45 is provided in the retainer below the ball 44 so that a pin or other implement may be inserted through this hole into engagement with the ball to move the ball out of its holding position in the recess 41 in the punch and into the hole 43 of the retainer so that the punch is then free to be moved downwardly out of the retainer.

In order to use my improved wrench or implement on this tpye of punch, I provide the implement with a collar 48 which is preferably provided with slits 49 to enable it to fit readily over the end of the housing. This collar has secured thereto a pin or rod 50 formed to extend through the hole 45 in the retainer. When my wrench or implement is to be used in connection with a ball retainer of this type, I preferably provide a housing or shell of my implement with a part 52 of reduced diameter over which the sleeve 48 may fit, as clearly shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. In the use of the implement with the sleeve 48 attached thereto, the implement is positioned about the punch in such a manner that the pin 50 will be located so that it can pass through the hole 45, whereupon the retainer is moved upwardly either manually to dislodge the ball 44 from the recess 41 or by applying power by mean of the implement it the ball cannot be removed manually. If the ball is hard to dislodge from its locking position, the implement is secured on the punch below where it would be placed to remove the punch. The housing is then turned by means of the handle 21, which results in moving the housing and the sleeve 48 and pin 50 upwardly, thus forcing the pin upwardly against the ball. During this turning of the housing, the sleeve 48 is held against rotation by the pin and the hole 45 into which it extends.

After the ball has been moved upwardly out of its punch-locking position, the implement will be in the position shown in FIG. 8, and the removal of the punch may then be eifected as heretofore described. If the implement, after releasing the ball is in a lower position than that shown in FIG. 8, it may be released from the punch and again applied thereto in the position shown in FIG. 8. After the jaws 29 of the chuck have been securely wedged in the tapering sleeve 30 to lock the fingers against the punch 40, the chuck or collet is turned in the reverse direction, thus rotating and withdrawing the punch while the ball is held in its releasing position by the pin 50. It is then only necessary to move the punch against the friction with which it is held in its aperture in the retainer.

The threaded stop collar 38 may of course be located in any desired position within the shell or housing so as to be engaged by the internal tapering collar 30 to release the punch or article from the implement after it has been withdrawn from the retainer. In the construction shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the internal screw threads in the shell or housing terminate a distance considerably lower than shown in the preceding figures. Consequently the chuck will have to be rotated sufiiciently to move the collar 30 down until the lower edge thereof engages the threaded stop collar 38. Any other means may be provided for limiting the up and down movement of the tapering collar 30 to engage and disengage the collet from the article.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials and arrangements of parts which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An implement for turning and pulling an article from a retainer, said implement including a housing, a chuck in said housing and having resilient tapered gripping fingers on .an end thereof, a collar positioned coaxially in said housing and movable axially therein and having a tapered inner face converging toward said retainer and with which said chuck fingers cooperate for moving said fingers into wedging relation to the article, said housing being internally screw-threaded to cooperate with an externally screw-threaded part of said chuck, said chuck member when turned in one direction urging the fingers of said chuck into wedging engagement with said collar and said article and when turned in the other direction after engaging the fingers of said chuck with said collar and said article, imparting rotation .and lengthwise movement to the article.

2. An implement according to claim 1 and including stops on said housing for limiting the axial movement of said collar in either direction lengthwise of said housing, said collar when engaging one of said stops causing said chuck to engage the article and when engaging the other stop causing said chuck to move out of gripping engagement with said article to release the same.

3. An implement for turning and pulling an article from a retainer, said implement including a housing, a collar arranged coaxially within said housing in one end thereof to move lengthwise thereof and having a tapered interior face converging toward said retainer, said housing having an inner stop which limits the extent to which said collar may move inwardly into said housing, an outer stop in the outer portion of said end of said housing which limits the movement of said collar in the opposite direction, a chuck in said housing having spring fingers movable into the interior tapered surface of the collar for wedging said chuck into clamping engagement with an article to be acted upon when said chuck is moved in one direction While said collar is in engagement with one of said stops, said chuck when moved in the opposite direction and rotated moving said article while in gripping engagement with said article, and urging said collar against the other stop for disengaging said chuck from said article, and cooperating means on said housing and said chuck for applying force to said chuck to wedge the fingers thereof into gripping engagement with said article and said collar.

4. An implement according to claim 3 in which said chuck has a threaded engagement with said housing for moving said chuck, said collar and the article in a rotating and longitudinal direction when said chuck is clamped to said article.

5. An implement for pulling a punch out of a punch retainer, said implement comprising a housing having one end formed to extend about said punch and to abut against said retainer, a tapered collar also formed to extend about said punch and arranged coaxially in said housing and slidable longitudinally thereof to a limited extent between two stops and having a tapered interior surface, converging toward said retainer, a chuck having externally tapered spring fingers to be positioned about a punch and to move between said collar and said punch to grip the same when moved toward said end of said housing when said collar is held against movement by one of said stops, said chuck having screw threads engaging corresponding threads of said housing, said chuck when turned in one direction moving said fingers into clamping engagement with said punch and when turned in the opposite direction moving said chuck, said tapered collar and said punch in a rotary and longitudinal movement out of said retainer.

6. An implement for turning and simultaneously pulling a punch out of its aperture in a retainer of a punch press, said implement including a housing having an open end formed to extend about the punch and to abut against a part of said press, a collar slidable lengthwise of said housing and adapted to extend about said punch and having an interior tapered bore converging toward said retainer, a chuck having spring fingers on the end thereof formed to cooperate with said tapered bore of said collar for moving said spring fingers into gripping engagement with the punch, a stop in said housing against which said collar engages to hold said collar against movement when said spring fingers are moved into said collar, said chuck having a threaded engagement with said housing for moving said spring fingers into engagement with said collar for gripping the punch, said chuck when turned in one direction moving said fingers into gripping engagement with said punch and when turned in the opposite direction after said punch is gripped by said fingers imparting rotary and axial movement to said punch to withdraw the same from said retainer, and another stop in said housing which is engaged by said collar to enable said fingers to be withdrawn from said collar upon continued rotation of said chuck in said opposite direction, the movement of said collar in said housing being limited by said stops.

7. An implement according to claim 6 in which said first mentioned stop is formed by an inwardly extending flange on the outer end of said housing.

8. An implement according to claim 6 in which said second stop is adjustable lengthwise of said housing to determine the extent to which said collar may move into said housing before disengaging the fingers of said chuck.

9. An implement according to claim 6, in which said second stop is in the form of a sleeve threaded to cooperate with the threads of said housing.

10. An implement for turning and pulling an article from a retainer, said implement including a housing, a collar arranged coaxially within said housing in one end thereof to move lengthwise thereof and having a tapered interior face converging toward said end of said housing, said housing having an inner stop which limits the extent to which said collar may move inwardly into said housing, an outer stop on the outer portion of said housing which limits the movement of said collar in the opposite direction, a chuck having longitudinally extending slits dividing the outer end of said housing into spring fingers with tapered exterior faces converging in the same direction as the tapered face of said collar, to cooperate with the interior tapered surface of the collar, a threaded connection between said chuck and said housing for wedging said fingers of said chuck into the space between said article and said collar and into clamping engagement with an article to be acted upon when said chuck is rotated in one direction to move said chuck outwardly in said housing and to move said collar in engagement with said outer stop, and for simultaneously rotating said chuck and said article and moving them lengthwise away from said end of said housing when said chuck is rotated in the reverse direction, said collar when forced against said inner stop disengaging said chuck from said article.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 192,734 Broadbent July 3, 1877 1,155,720 Golly Oct. 5, 1915 2,629,274 Bolduc Feb. 24, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 7,978 Great Britain July 1, 1885 

